Pleasure-railway car



Mar. 20, 1923.

J. A. MILLER PLEASURE RAILWAY CAR Filed Dec. 1.5, 1922 HIM Patented Mar. 20, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

JOHN A. MILLER, OF HOMEWOOD, ILLINOIS.

PLEASURE-RAILWAY GAR.

Application filed December 15, 1922.

To all w]: om if mu 3, concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Honiewood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pleasureliailway Cars. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improved cars for pleasure railway structures, particularly structures which have abrupt dips and summits and sharp curves. The general. object of the invention is to produce a car whose riding over such railway structures will be full of sensation yet will be entirely safe.

More in detail one of the important objects of the invention is to provide a seating structure for the car which besides partaking of the movement of the car over dips and summits and around curves, will have osdllating and rotary movement. Another important object of the invention is to so arrange seats on the seating structure that when the car is traveling up or down inclines or around curves the center of the load will move away from the center of rotation of the car to thus cease the car, by the unbalanced weight, to automatically turn without the aid of turning devices arranged along the track structure. This I accomplish by lo calizing weight by providing an uneven number of separated seats, preferably 3, each holding the same number of persons and spaced uniformly around the center of rotation.

Another object of the invention is to provide for quick and ready loading and unloading of the car, this being accomplished by providing radial aisles between the seats with the floor at the aisles on a level with the loading or unloading platforms of the railwav structure on which the car is to be used.

Another object is to provide improved pivot and supporting arrangement which will enable the seating structure to turn with very little friction and which will hold it securely against tilting with reference to the car truck.

The above and other features of my invention are clearly disclosed in the structure shown on the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a plan View of a car with parts broken away, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View with parts broken away and in section.

Serial No. 607,027.

For supporting the revolvable seating structure any suitable type of truck may be used. The truck shown comprises a rigid framework of cross beams 10 and longitudinally extending beam structures 12 and 13. The cross beams may be of wood but the longitudinal beam structures are preferably of metal. The side beam structures 12 are each composed of angle beams a and i) which form a channel shaped beam struct urc. At its ends these side beam structures are cut out as indicated at 1% to accommodate the vehicle wheels 15 journaled on the shafts or axles 16 which are supported in the opposed angle beams of the beam structures The central longitudinal beam 13 is in the form of; a channel beam secured to the cross beams with its flanges extending upwardly. I have shown rail structures R which form part of the supporting railway structure (not shown) and which will have abrupt summits and dips and lateral curves. In practice safety rollers or aluitments (not shown) are also provided on the. truck to cooperate with the rail structures to keep the truck to the rails particularly when going around curves or over abrupt summits.

The seating structure is of circular form. I comprises an annular preferably metal main supporting frame 17 of irregular T- shape cross section. The horizontal annular flange 18 of this frame forms a support for the entrance and seat supporting flooring 19, while the vertical or web part comprises the upper inclined annular section EU, the intermediate cylindrical section 521 and the lower or inwardly turned flange section 2:2. this flange section supporting the foot flooring The flooring .9 is preferably surrounded by a tire or strengthening angle bar 24.

On the floor 19 are arranged and secured the seats S. three such seats being shown equally spaced on the. floor and separated from each other a sufiicient distance to leave the aisles 2 53. The seats are arcnatc and concentric with the axis of the seating structure. I show a very desirable construction for these seats. F or the backs I provide upper and lower boards or timbers 26 and 27 connected by the wooden or sheet metal walls 28. The backs at their ends bend to form the substantially semi-circular side sections 29 and the radially extending ends 30. The sections 30 of adjacent seats are separated and between the sections 29 and 30 of adjacent seats are the aisles or entrance .iassageways already referred to. Passengers are readily guided through the aisles by the eurved sides 29.

Angle bars 31 serured on the door it] i'orui a rigid support for the rear lower edge: of the seats and the tops of the barks a "e strengthened by the angle bar rornere Boards 3; extending up troni the back so; port the upholstered rope 30 whieh affords a. good band rail to which the passengers may hold when entering the ear. The back is provided with suitable upholstering I35.

Secured along the inner edge oi the annular floor 19 859th? raise hoards 36 tor sup porting the inner ends of the inrlined seat bottom boards 37 on whirl) are supported the Cushions 38. The deep seats with their high harks are very comfortable and the passengers cannot tall out. The reeesses or pockets formed by the curved sides 29 and the ends 311 also serve to snugly seat the passengers, usually two to each seat. The passengers step from the aisles on to the floor :23 and as there are three aisles and only two passengers per seat the passengers can readily find seats or leave them without rrowdin; or eont'usion.

Describing now the pivotal arrain enient oi the seating struetnre on the trnek. a pivot post 39 extends axially through the floor 233 and hv means of flanges ill and l] the pow: is rigidlv secured to the door 33. ihe 'ii ltll extends through the opening 42 in the r-hannel beam 13 and through the hole 42% in the plate H. the channel beam being: seemed to the eross beam on the top tliereot and the plate being set'ured against the under sides of the adjareut cross beams. To support the weight of the seating strueture dnrin:- its rotation and to prevent it trom ltifit'f l provide the rollers or wheels 45 whieh are arranged in planes at right angles with the plane of the outer snrtare oi the inclined seetion it) of the main supporting fr: me U. l have shown four sueh supporting rollers. They ("an be Conveniently supported in bearin; Frames 46 securely mounted between the. flanges of the beams 12 and i-l as r-leuriv shown. To hold the seating: structure to the supporting rollers head or abutment llang e 47 is provided on the lower end oil the pivot post 39 below the plate 44. l redure the friction at the pivot point 1 preferably provide anti-trietion rollers 48 which are arranged around the pivot axis to neuter thrpost and are supported on shafts l5) exiendin; between the beam 13 and the plate ll, Friction is thus reduced to a. minimum and the seating structure (an readily rotate on its :xis in response to very slight unbalano ing of the weight. To provide a convenient holding means for the passengers the post "it is extended upwardly in the ear and has secured at its upper end the disk having:

at its periphery the eirvular hand rail 5i. This hand rail and the rope rails on the FPtllS afford rtmvenient support tor the pas w ngers when they enter or leave the ear and Htl'tt a eonvenient hold for the passein gore while the t'll! is traveling rapidl v on the railway structure. The ais e lloor 1! is preferably at a level so that it will he rlose lo and register with the loading or unioad inn platforms oi the railway structures on which the (211 is run. loading and unloadiin; ot the ear being then quiol ly and readily zm-oinplished without eontusion. The pas sengers (an all enter or leave through one aisle or the seating strurture run he rotated and the passeng loaded and unloaded thrtuigh the res tire aisles. Owing lo the shape and size oi the seats the passengers tell he snugly hut ronilortahly and sa'lrl'v and they (an hold on to the rope rails and the eirenlar hand rail when the ear is under way. There is therefore no danger of any of the passengers falling or being thrown from the ear during); its travel over the traelt strueture.

Owing: to the trietionless support and pivot ot' the seating structure very little disturhanr-o will he required to eauso it to rotate. hen the seats are nnitormly loaded. two in GElCll Seat. and the ear in on level true]: the center of gravity will he in the pivot line. Put the loading: is very seldom uni form and so the (enter of gravity will usualiy he at one side of the pivot line. and that side on which the center [it gravity is located will therefore tend to swing! down when the ear is going: up or down grade. and when going around rurves such heavier side will tend to swing to *ard the outside ot the rurve due to eutril'ugal notion. Even with the load equally and uniformly distributed on the seats so that on the level the. renler of gravity will he in the pivot line. the :druelure will turn on grades for the reason that thero is no diainetral plane on the sides of which the load would he equally distributed. There might be the. same total load on both sides but the distribution would be unequal this being due to the uneven numhr-r of separated seats. For example. suppose that with the position shown in Fig. 1 the ear is travoliing down an iurliue away from the observer. The load in advaureol' the lransvorso vertioal plane passing through the r nter point will be heavier than the oad behind ui-h plane heeause the trailing sea has mil two orrupants while the seats in front ol? the plane have the eoiuhined weight of more than. two. The seating struetuae will therefore maintain this position while the ear traveling down a straight incline. But suppose that the ear is coming down an iueline towards the observer. The slightest disturbance will move the router of gravity of the heavier weighted side to one side or other of the line of direction of travel and thenthis heavier side will cause the seat structure to rotate until practically two seats are leading and one seat trailing.

Suppose that the car is traveling on level track with the seating structure in position with its plane w-m at right angles with the direction of travel. There will then be two and one-half seats or three persons on each side of this plane but the center of gravity at each side of the plane will be' closer to the center of the full seat on'thatiside. Now if the car should strike an upgrade (traveling from the observer) the'two seats which are in greater part at one side of the center line of travel will cause the structure to rotate to bring these seats to opposite sides of the center line of travel and to swing the other seat in advance. If the car then strikes a down grade two seats will swing in advance with one seat trailing. Thus while the car travels up or down grades the seat structure will always rotate ;to bring two seats to the lowest point, one on each side of the line of travel, and a single seat at the trailing end.

When going around curves centrifugal force will act strongest on that side of the center line on which is the greatest load so that two seats will be at the outside of the curve and one seat at the inside. Thus as the car travels at irregular intervals up and down grade and around curves of various radiuses the seating structure will be continuously rotated or whipped around and the ride is thus full of sensation and interest. The seats being designed to snugly receive two persons and the hand rails affording good holds for them there is no danger of their being thrown out of their seats or from the car.

I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement shown as changes and modifications can be made which would still come within the spirit of the invention. I claim as follows:

1. In a car for pleasure railway structures of the class described, the combination of a truck, a seating structure pivoted on said truck to rotate on its vertical axis, and seats for said structure uniformly arranged around the pivot axis and separated by radial aisles.

2. In a car for pleasure railway structures of the class described, the combination of a truck. a seating structure supported on said truck to rotate on its vertical axis. and an uneven number of seats for said structure uniformly arranged around the pivot axis and separated by radial aisles.

In a car for pleasure railway structures of the class described, the combination of a truck, a seating structure mounted on said truck to rotate on its vertical axis,

and seats for said structure arranged in a circular row concentric with the pivot axis and facing said axis, said seats being separated by radial aisles.

4. In a car for pleasure railway StIllfl tures of the class described, the combination of a truck, a seating structure sup ported on said truck to rotate on its vertical axis, and an uneven number of seats for said structure arranged in a circular row concentric with and facing the pivot axis,

there being radial aisles between said seats.

5. In a car for pleasure railway structures of the class described, the combination of a truck, a seating structure 1nounted on said truck to rotate on its vertical axis, an annular floor for said structure concentrio with the pivot axis thereof, and separated seats uniformly distributed on said floor and facing radially inwardly, the spaces between said seats forming radial aisles.

6. In a passenger car for pleasure railway structures of the class described, the combination of a truck, a seating structure supported on said truck to rotate on its vertical axis, a circular inner floor for said seating structure, uniformly spaced seats arranged in a circle around said inner floor concentric with the pivot axis, the space between said seats forming aisles to the inner floor, and flooring for said aisles raised above the inner floor to be on a level with the loading and unloading platforms of the railway structure over which the car is run.

7. In a, car for pleasure railway structures of the class described, the combination of a truck, a circular seating structure pivoted on said truck for rotation around its axis, and an uneven number of seats uniformly distributed in a circular row concentric with said pivot axis, said seats being of the same capacity and uniformly spaced apart to afford loading and unloading aisles, the end walls of said seats forming the guiding walls for said aisles.

8. In a car for pleasure railway structures of the class described, the combination of a truck, a circular seating structure pivoted on said truck for rotation on its vertical axis, and seats for said seating structure arranged in a. circular row around the pivot axis, backs for said seats, and end walls for said seats extending radially, the end walls of adjacent seats being separated whereby to form aisles for the loading or unloading of passengers.

9. In a car for pleasure railway structures of the class described, the combination of a truck, a circular seating structure pivoted on said truck for rotation around its vertical axis, and an uneven number of seats uniformly distributed in a circular row concentric with said pivot axis, hacks for said seats, and end walls for said seats, the end walls of said adjacent seats hein g separated and extending radially whereby to form radial aisles for'the loading or unloading of passen'gers'.

10. In a car for pleasure railway struc tn res of the class described, the combination of a truck, an annular floormcunted on said truck and pivdtetltlieieon torotate around its axis, and seats on said floor facing the pivot axis and spaced apart to provide aisles tor the loadingand'unloading of passengers. p

11. In a car for pleasure railway structures of the class described, thecomhination of atruclr, an annular floor supported on said truck to rotate aroundits axis, an uneven number dfseats uniformly distributed on said floor and separatedto provide aisles. l 1 1 "j 12. In a car for pleasurerailway structures of the class described, the com'hin'w tion of a truck, an annular floor supported on said truck to rotate on its'ax isuand an uneven number of similar seats uniformly spaced on said floor and facing the axis of rotation, said seatsheing separated at their ends to provide radial aisles for the loading or unloading of passengers.

13. In a vehicle for pleasure railway structures of the class' described,the combinament of said structure, rollers between said truck and seating structure for supporting it vertically during rotation thereof, sep arate seats on said seating structure arranged in a circular row around the pivot axis, a post in the center of said seating, structure, and a circular hand rail at the top of said post. 1

14. In a vehicle for pleasure railway structures of the class described, the combination of a truck, a seating structure ,on' said truck, a pivot connection between said seating structure and truck for permitting rotational movement of said structure, an annular rail on said structure. rollers journaled on said truck for receiving said rail to thereby support the structure vertically, a plurality of separate seats arranged in a circular row on said structure around the pivot axis, and acircular hand rail supported in said structure for the pas sengers.

v In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day of December AJD 

